Improvement in animal-traps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS J. EDDY, OF VVINNESHEIK COUNTY, AND JOHN' B. VVILBER, OF

HOWARD COUNTY, IOWA. l

IMPROVEMENT IN ANIMAL-TRAPS.

Specilication forming part of Letters PatentNo. 45.399, dated December 13, 1864.

To @ZZ whom it may concern: l when the trap is set, is inserted into the slot Be it known that We, AUGUSTUS J. EDDY, J in the pin of metal F, while the other end of the county ot' Winnesheik and State of of saidlever has aslot which is slipped down Iowa, and JOHN B. WILBER, of the county of ,l over the end of the triggerE and into anotch,

Howard and State of' Iowa, have in vented a K, in said trigger. ThewireG being fastened l new and Improved Trap for Catching Pocket- Gophers; and we do hereby declare that the I following is a full, clear, and exa-ct descripto the lever H, close to the pin ot' metal F, it takes the greater part of the strain of the spring ofi' the trigger E, and makes the trap tion of the construction and operation of the 1 more sensitive and certain in its operation.

same, reference being had to the annexedir dra-Wings, making a part of this Specification,

Figure lis a perspective View; Fig. 2, a detached part.

A piece ot' scantling about one foot long and four or live inches square, A, Fig. l, is bored i out longitudinally through the center large l enough to admit the body ot' a pocket-gopher. This hole is shown at B, Fig. l. On the top ot' the trap is fastened the steel spring C, the frontend of which is attached to the garrote D, which garrote extends downinto and around the hole B, Fig. l, as in the common mouse-trap. A mortise is made in the top of the trap, into which is inserted the trigger E, which extends down into the hole or inside of the trap and plays loosely on a pivot, I, some two or three inches forward of the trigger, and fastened into the top of the trap isa pin ot' metal, F, eX- tending up the same height as the trigger E, g in the end of which pin ot metal is a small slot or mortse, J. Into the steel spring O is inserted a Wire, G, the lower end of which is fastened to the lever H. This wire G, with its lever attached, plays or swings loosely. On the end ot' the lever H, near which end the wire G is fastened, is a tenon or point, which, l

lhe pocket-gopher is very destructive to root and other crops, burrowin g in the ground, cutting oft' the roots of fruit trees, garden vegetables. or anything eatable in its way. It is scarcely ever seen above ground, and its presence is only detected by small mounds, which it throws up at the end ot' its burrow or hole, commonly called gopher-hills.7 If one of these hills be removed and the burrow be left open, as soon as tl.e gopher discovers it he comes with his pockets full ot' dirt to lill up the entrance. Now, it' this trap is placed in the entrance, the inside ot' the tra-p being about the size of the burrow, and making a continuation of it, the gopher rushes up to lill up the entrance, strikes the trigger, and is caught.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination ot' the spring C, Wire G, lever H, and trigger E, constructed and op erated as described.

AUGUSTUS J. EDDY. JOHN B. WILBER.

Vllitnesses:

HENRY KELLY, J. A. BEEBE. 

